Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Checks All the Right Boxes, but Isn't It Daylight Robbery?

People have been holding their breath to see it. Chevrolet unveiled the C8 coupe on July 18, 2019, in Tustin, California, and brought the convertible three months later, during a media event at the Kennedy Space Center, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The model entered production on February 3, 2020, delayed by a strike that went on and off at General Motors.

The eighth generation rewrote the history of the model. The engine migrated, making it the first-ever midengined Corvette since the introduction of the car back in 1953. It was a fancy dream finally and belatedly coming true for the original chief Corvette engineer Zora Akrus-Duntov. To pay homage to the "Father of the Corvette," a Z button shows up on the steering wheel to activate customized performance settings.

Before the official unveiling, the figures promoted by the carmaker seemed unbelievable. Nobody could actually blame the skeptics. The car sported a weight higher than expected. But despite all odds, Chevrolet was really telling the truth. The model came with everything they promised and more.

The Corvette Z06, the ace up Chevrolet's sleeve

The carmaker had an ace up its sleeve, and it came in the Z06 performance version that they unveiled on October 26, 2021. The Z06 entered production as a 2023 model year as a homologation vehicle. It screamed performance. It breathed in racing. It exhaled madness.

The car came with the 5.5-liter LT6 V8 engine, the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 currently in production, surpassing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series M159, rated at 622 horsepower (631 PS). The LT power plant delivers 670 horsepower (679 PS) and 460 lb-ft (624 Nm) of torque. Together with an 8,600 rpm redline, these are things that nobody in the segment can mess with.

Right from the start, Chevrolet claimed the Z06 could do zero to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, delivering 1.22 G in lateral acceleration. It uses the exact same transmission as the Stingrays, but with a shorter final ratio for improved acceleration.

To stop that much power, the carmaker put in Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with red-finished six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers in Edge Red.

This particular car has the Z07 ace up its sleeve. So it checks all the right boxes in terms of performance and equipment. It is finished in Rapid Blue, with the Full Length Dual Racing Stripes in Edge Red, an option that costs $995 (almost double compared to the whole body paint, rated at $500), plus the carbon fiber high rear wing.

The former owner chose a Tension/Twilight Blue Dipped interior and also ticked the Option Package 3LZ. It brings a leather-wrapped steering wheel with carbon fiber, Custom Leather-Wrapped Interior Package, and the Suded Microfiber-Wrapped Upper Interior Trim Package.

The 8,995 Z06 Ultimate performance option and the track-oriented Z07 Suspension with Magnetic Selective Ride Control are on the menu as well.

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is a 10.6-second car on the quarter mile when equipped with the Z07 Performance Package and hits top speeds of up to 200 mph (320 kph) in exchange for $8,995.

Born with a silver spoon...

The Z06 sports a body wide enough to accommodate the larger wheels with thicker tires that Chevrolet came up for the model. There are 20-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch units at the rear, shod in Michelin Cup 2 R ZP performance tires. The model wears the optional carbon fiber rims, supplied by the Australian manufacturer Carbon Revolution. Chevrolet claims that it's these wheels that put the car on a diet, shaving off 41 pounds (19 kilograms) of the weight. They cost #13,500.

This car right here must have been like a baby born with a silver spoon in their mouth. The window sticker listing shows a beyond-belief standard equipment, plus $55,0000 in optional features. Now that really is a car to celebrate Corvette's 70th landmark anniversary. Mecum Auctions labels it as an "instant collectible" on every level. Or are they looking for a justification for the price?

The car goes under the hammer in Monterey, California, in mid-August, as one of the 600 vehicles listed for the event. The Chevrolet Corvette, when stock, starts at $67,895. A Corvette Z06 starts at $108,110. Specced with everything this car sports, it can go toward the $160,000. But now, it is expected to fetch anywhere between $275,000 and $325,000. And all this time we thought that dealers across America had gone crazy.